T

he National Police announced that six Papuans had been charged with treason and were indicted following the third Papuan People’s Congress, which was forcefully dispersed by police on Saturday.

Six people reportedly died in connection with altercations surrounding the events.

“The six suspects were the leaders of the group,” Police deputy spokesman Sr. Comr. Boy Rafli Amar said, adding that the police had collected evidence. “We recognize Papua as a part of Indonesia and any attempt to secede from the country is against the law. We therefore must enforce the law,” the officer said.

The suspects were identified only by their initials: FY, EW, DS, AM, GW and SB.

The police and the military decided to disperse the congress on Wednesday after the participants hoisted the Morning Star flag — a symbol of the Papua independence movement. The police reportedly fired warning shots to break up the assembly, prompting numerous participants to flee into the hills.

Officials previously said the congress was granted a permit after its organizers promised the event would be limited to a discussion of the rights and welfare of Papuans.

Calls for independence have long been heard in Papua, as many among the indigenous population feel that they have been oppressed and marginalized for decades in the easternmost province, which has always been heavily controlled by the military.

These calls had been met with repressive measures. In September, a student John Raweyai, 20, was sentenced to 9 months and 17 days in prison for treason during a demonstration in December 2010.

Early this year, two Papuan activists, Melky Sehu Blesman Bleskadit and Reverend Daniel Yanu, were sent to jail for treason. They were arrested on Dec. 14 of last year for carrying the Bintang 14 separatist flag during a rally. Papuan activist Bucthar Tabuni was sentenced on Friday to three years in prison for “provocation” at a 2008 pro-independence demonstration.

However, over the past few months, violence escalated in the region that was taken over by Indonesia from the Dutch in 1967, drawing criticism from human rights activists and foreign observers over the way the government has dealt with Papua issues.

Two days after the congress, unidentified gunmen killed three people in Timika, Papua, the nearest town to the world’s largest copper and gold mine. A Freeport Indonesia contract worker was killed along with two local residents of Timika.

According to Boy, the police confiscated participant identification cards, event notification and recruitment letters, among other evidence. At least 18 people from 360 participants at the congress underwent police questioning, he said.

Wednesday’s incident in Abepura was followed by the discovery of two bodies near an Indonesian Military (TNI) post, about 200 meters from the site of the congress.

The bodies were identified as university student Daniel Kadepa, 25, and Papuan Land Guardian (Petapa) Max Yewon, 35. Another body was later found, identified as Yosef Samon Sabra, 53.